A former head of Turkey’s state-owned weapons manufacturer has been jailed in an expanding organized crime investigation that has already ensnared an underworld figure with links to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s far-right allies.
İsmet Sayhan, former chairman of the board of the state-run Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), was arrested by an İstanbul court on Wednesday after prosecutors charged him with “destroying, misusing or fraudulently obtaining documents related to state security.” The charges carry potential prison terms under Turkey’s penal code.
The detention of Sayhan, who is described in Turkish media as close to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, comes just days after the detention and subsequent arrest of Selahattin Yılmaz, a convicted mob boss long associated with nationalist circles. Yılmaz and nine others were jailed last week in the same case, which authorities say involves an armed crime organization active across five provinces.
MKE, the company Sayhan once led, is a key weapons producer that manufactures ammunition, artillery and other materiel for the Turkish Armed Forces. It is widely seen as a strategic pillar of the country’s defense industry, making the arrest of a former chairman particularly sensitive.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation began with allegations that Yılmaz was running a criminal network involved in threats and illicit dealings. Police operations were carried out in İstanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Muğla and Samsun, resulting in 17 detentions. Courts ordered 10 suspects jailed pending trial, released six under judicial supervision measures and freed one without charge. Sayhan was among those initially detained.
The case has sparked political debate because of Yılmaz’s past proximity to Bahçeli, who this week publicly defended him as a “comrade” and expressed confidence in his eventual acquittal. Observers note that such remarks are highly unusual for an ally of Erdoğan when a criminal case is still underway, fueling speculation about tensions between the MHP and President Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).